Disappearance of Rebati Phukan: SC to hear Habeas Corpus petition

The Supreme Court today agreed to hear the Habeas Corpus petition filed by the family of peace negotiator Rebati Phukan, who has been missing for over a month. The Court today issued notice to Centre and the States of Assam and Meghalaya in the matter..Rebati Phukan, a well-known peace negotiator who mediated between Centre and the United Liberation Front of Assan (ULFA) went missing on April 22 this year..On suspicion that one of the Central Agencies might be responsible for his disappearance, Phukan’s son moved the Apex Court on May 29..Today, the Bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and Mohan M Shantanagoudar, after expressing some initial reservations about the petitioner coming directly to Supreme Court, finally agreed to hear the petition..Justice Rao asked Senior Counsel Geeta Luthra, representing the petitioners, whether Phukan was a mediator between ULFA and the Government or an activist..Luthra informed the Court of Phukan’s mediation work at which point Justice Rao inquired if Phukan’s family was getting support from the Assam government in tracing his whereabouts. Luthra told the Court that the Assam government and the Chief Minister of Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal, are extending support to Phukan’s family and are, in fact, trying to find him..“If you have support from the Chief Minister, then what is stopping you from going to the High Court? What was the rush to come to Delhi all the way from North East? Whatever we can do, even the High Court can do”, Justice Rao remarked..The petitioners apprised the Court that two States were involved in the matter, along with the Centre as well as a Central Agency owing to which the petitioners approached the Supreme Court..The Supreme Court agreed to hear the plea and issued Dasti notice to all the respondents in the matter. The matter will be now taken up after two weeks..On the morning of April 22, Rebati Phukan had left his residence in Guwahati for a morning walk and never returned. An investigation to trace Phukan’s whereabouts was ordered for by the Chief Minister of Assam but has not yielded any result so far.